Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

प्राप्यामरावतीं शक्रस्ततो दिविषदां पुरः । धर्मपीठस्य माहात्म्यं महत्काश्यामवर्णयत्

Transliteration

prāpyāmarāvatīṃ śakrastato diviṣadāṃ puraḥ | dharmapīṭhasya māhātmyaṃ mahatkāśyāmavarṇayat

Translation

Having reached Amarāvatī, Śakra (Indra) then, before the assembly of the gods, described the great glory of Dharmapīṭha in Kāśī.

Word by Word

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra- उपसर्ग; prāpya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), avyayībhāva-prayoga; ‘having reached’

• amarāvatīm: Amarāvatī (Indra’s city)
• amarāvatīm: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amarāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/कर्म), Ekavacana

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/कर्ता), Ekavacana

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (kāla/krama)

• diviṣadām: of the gods (heaven-dwellers)
• diviṣadām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diviṣad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/सम्बन्ध), Bahuvacana

• puraḥ: before/in the presence of
• puraḥ: Adhikaraṇa/Deśa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/postposition meaning ‘in front of/before’ (often with genitive)

• dharmapīṭhasya: of the Dharmapīṭha
• dharmapīṭhasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-arthānuśaya: ‘dharma’ qualifying ‘pīṭha’); Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/सम्बन्ध), Ekavacana

• māhātmyam: greatness, glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd/कर्म), Ekavacana

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of ‘māhātmyam’

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī (7th/अधिकरण), Ekavacana

• avarṇayat: described, narrated
• avarṇayat: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √varṇ (धातु) + ava- उपसर्ग; varṇayati (तिङन्त)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapīṭha (in Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra arrives in Amarāvatī and, before a radiant council of devas, narrates the greatness of Dharmapīṭha in Kāśī; celestial architecture, banners, and attentive gods frame the discourse.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Amarāvatī
• Devas (Diviṣad)
• Dharmapīṭha
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fame of Kāśī’s holy places is so authoritative that even Indra proclaims their greatness among the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmapīṭha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes testimony and proclamation of the site’s māhātmya.